Last Friday night, while parked in the illuminated back yard parking space, my van was broken into and ALL of my kit stolen: Camera, lenses, tripod, meter ..... you name it.It'll be hard to flog — who'd even know what it is, let alone how to show it or operate it.The Police are on the trail and perhaps I'll be blessed with the return of the kit in the same condition as when it was whipped.Meanwhile, I went to my friends' camera store on Tuesday and just two hours earlier they had received in a consignment sale of a pristine Mamiya C330 at the right price. I love the Mamiya TLRs and had been investigating getting one for some time.Since moving into the small flat just over a year ago I have not been productive. Processing rolls will provide greater throughput and I might actually get back to making some pictures.And yes, Barry K, it was the venerated Toyo that went.

Oh well.....,

Walter Glover

"Photography was not a bastard left by science on the doorstep of art, but a legitimate child of the Western pictorial tradition." —Robert Galassi

So sad, Walter. I do hope you get it back. Let's keep hoping. Ass you said, it'll be hard to flog, and the moment it comes onto the market, if the police are doing their job, there's a good chance you'll get it back.

I was amazed at the images you showed me that you did with the C220. Breathtakingly sharp and with beautiful tonality. I was not aware of how good those Mamiya lenses are. Isn't it a tragedy that Mamiya, Fuji and Nikon don't make MF and LF lenses any more? A great thing about the Mamiya TLRs is that you can swap focal lengths. Good luck with the C330.

Moving day is tomorrow for us. One more sleep and our ordeal will be over. At last I'll be able to do some photography again.

Thanks for your expressed concerns and welcome to the world of post-removalist mayhem.

In the next day or so I'll be getting a loan of a tripod and head to use while I make up my mind on what to purchase.

The new C330 is in mint condition, as was your Toyo that I acquired, and there are 55mm and 135mm lenses available. I'll have to settle for an acquisition plan of picking up one each Pension day. With a long weekend coming up I'll be busting to get some good light. My time is committed Saturday and Sunday but, hopefully, the world is my oyster on the Monday.

Every blessing for the move,

Walter Glover

"Photography was not a bastard left by science on the doorstep of art, but a legitimate child of the Western pictorial tradition." —Robert Galassi

Rotten luck Walter! I know what it feels like. Back in the 1980s I had my Nagaoka 8x10 stolen by a daylight housebreaker. I bet they watched me leave home and moved in quickly. And the lenses and tripod went as well. The villain(s) didn't take a stack of 8x10 film holders because (I guess) they are boring black looking things of no obvious value. Then the cops wrote a report and went away. Then the insurance company reneged on my claim until they got my lawyer's letter. Then they paid up but refused to do further business with me. Replacing the gear was a tedious exercise but the worst impact was the feeling of personal violation from being robbed in my own space. None of the gear has ever turned up.

One of the most productive cameras here is a Mamiya C330S with 55mm, 80mm, and 180mm lenses. Image quality is impeccable. And it's been everywhere, mountain tops, snow storms, tempests, portrait studio, etc. It's a "go to" camera when large format is just plain impractical.

I'll watch the markets, formal or informal, in case any of your gear surfaces.

So far the C330 is yet to see action. Last weekend a mat and I went back up the Hunter valley but the site we wanted to set our lenses loose in was closed and admission prohibited. Work had been vey busy so there has been no happenstance action wither.

But another factor is at hand. A recurring factor that always surfaces: despite all rational reasoning is that I find it hard to get inspired without lens adjustments and I do love the viewing luxury of a big ground glass.

So, last night I did a deal with a friend and have another Sinar. It may get a run up the Hunter as early as next week. Only thing missing is a lens. The only lens I have is my Nikkor -AM*ED 120mm (micro). I have bucketloads of Technika lens boards and I am favouring the smaller board and an included Sinar to Technika adaptor board.

I still have loads of double darks and sundry prerequisites so real life ain't all that far off.

Walter Glover

"Photography was not a bastard left by science on the doorstep of art, but a legitimate child of the Western pictorial tradition." —Robert Galassi